If Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs needs a reminder of just how busy his life has become, he needs only to open his phone.

Rest assured - among the inspirational texts sent to him by his father on a daily basis – he’s sure to find the familiar messages from his mother.

“My mom calls me constantly,” Dobbs told the Sentinel. “Every time you unlock the phone, you have another phone call from her. She sends me texts with 10 things to do in the day and I think, ‘Oh, here we go again.’

“My parents do a lot for me and I’m very thankful for them."

Dobbs is wrapping up his junior year, during which he recorded close to 3,000 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns. Before it’s all said and done, he could find his name among some of the elite names in Volunteers history.

Tennessee earned the adulation of the media, which tabbed the Volunteers the 2015 preseason favorites to capture the SEC East. The team even found itself ranked in the preseason top 25 polls to start the season for the first time since 2008.

After opening with a win over Bowling Green, Tennessee dropped four of its next six games, including losses to Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas and Alabama – all by a combined 17 points. During each of the four losses, the Volunteers either led or were tied at the half.

“Every time you step on the field, there are always thing you did well and there always things you could have done better,” Dobbs said of the team’s focus this offseason. “Obviously, when you lose four games by 17 points, you try and identify what you can do to take that next step.

“We were able to finish out last season strong and obviously the record stands out for itself. We’re trying to continue to build on the progress and the success that we had last year.”

Dobbs cites the team’s mettle in those early struggles as a contributing factor in its strong finish – six consecutive wins, including a 45-6 victory over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.

"Everything is really a learning experience,” he said. "You just learn how to finish games. You look at the beginning of the season – we lost a couple of games by a touchdown or a point – to the end of the season where we were able to come out with those victories.

“Every play is important and you have to play every play like it’s your last.”

His focus and ability to handle adversity has earned the respect of former Tennessee star Peyton Manning, who was interviewed by CBS during the Vols' game against Alabama last season.

"I just really like the way he handles his business," Manning said of Dobbs during the broadcast. "He’s a great kid. I’m pulling hard for him.”

Education is key

For his part, Dobbs has embraced his role as leader on and off the field.

“It’s just an awesome opportunity,” he said of his short time at the school. “When [you] come to a place like Tennessee and you play college football, you have a platform. I obviously want to make a positive influence on people that I’m able to reach, that I’m able to touch.”

One of those he’s been able to connect with is A.J. Cucksey. This past Christmas, Dobbs helped surprise the young cancer patient with a brand new Volunteers-themed bedroom. The video went viral this past week and was another example of Dobbs’ generosity with his time.

“I love meeting people and putting a smile on their face,” he said.

Dobbs is still amazed when a he meets fans and they want a picture or an autograph.

“I’m just a football player. I’m just another person working hard every day and just trying to succeed in life. It always catches me off guard,” Dobbs said. “My teammates get a kick out of it. It’s a pretty cool feeling that you can go somewhere and people recognize you and look up to you.”

Make no mistake; football isn’t the only thing Dobbs is good at.

He is majoring in aerospace engineering, a subject with class names so complicated, they draw blank stares from those who ask about his schedule. It’s not the typical course load you might expect from a football player, but then again Dobbs isn’t your typical football player.

His parents, Stephanie and Robert Dobbs, instilled the importance of getting a good education at an early age.

“From Day 1, [they] taught me that getting my education was important,” Dobbs said. “They’ve always set my focus to succeeding in school first because you can’t play football forever obviously as much as we want to, so you have a second Plan A if football doesn’t pan out and you always have to be prepared if adversity strikes.”

While the NCAA debates the issue of time demands on athletes, Dobbs says he’s always been able to balance his class time with his athletic interests.

“It’s just something I’ve always done – taking advanced classes [and playing] different sports,” he said . “I grew up playing three sports and I was in accelerated classes. It’s about managing your time and understanding what you can and cannot do things.

“It’s all about being smart and productive with your time.”

His interest in aerospace came at an early age as well.

“Ever since I was younger, I’ve always been fascinated with airplanes and I’ve always been good with the math and sciences growing up so it was just the perfect fit,” he said. “It was something that I really enjoyed and something I wanted to learn more about. It was a passion that I’ve already had and I’ve learned a lot.”

His favorite airplane was the Concorde – the supersonic jet first introduced in 1976 – but as of late his interests have shifted more towards military planes. Last summer, he interned at Pratt & Whitney, which produces aircraft engines for the United States government.

“I definitely want to learn to fly someday and get my pilot's license, but just fly on my own time," he said. "Fly not as a career, but just by myself. I just want to fly just myself and learn on my own time. That would be really cool.”

For now, Dobbs will have to settle for trying to guide Tennessee to its first SEC title since 1998.

“Our expectations are that every time we step on the field is to compete and win,” he said.